A computer system includes a large number of components, many of which are delicate and expensive. One or more computer systems, such as a telecommunications system and/or a storage system, may be housed in a data center. Example components of a computer system include but are not limited to processors, central processing units (CPUs), memory, and data storage. Many components have a maximum operating temperature, above which the components fail to operate.
Many air-cooling mechanisms are used to prevent the components of a computer system from overheating. Examples of air-cooling mechanisms include but are not limited to a Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioner (HVAC) system, and a fan internal to a computer system. In some data centers, a significant amount of energy is used to unnecessarily cool components far below a maximum operating temperature of the components.
The approaches described in this section are approaches that could be pursued, but not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated, it should not be assumed that any of the approaches described in this section qualify as prior art merely by virtue of their inclusion in this section.